Emotionally speaking, this is definitely the hardest pieces I've made so far. On July 18th, 2019, an arson attack on Kyoto Animation's Studio 1 left 36 dead and 34 injured, one of the deadliest mass casualty incidents in Japan since the end of WWII. KyoAni has some of the best working conditions in the industry and have made some of the most iconic anime to date, including Clannad, A Silent Voice, and the show that got me started on anime, Violet Evergarden (as seen in this drawing). I sent this drawing to them through their website, and there's a good chance it was displayed along with thousands of other fan submissions in Kyoto this past November as part of a public memorial service. While this was a tragic blow to the company and community, they're healing and getting back to their feet, and I can't wait to see what they create next.
Medium: Ink on Sketch Book Paper
Size: 15” x 25”
Year: 10/04/2019
This Illustration is my Pumpkin carve design for the Great Pumpkin Carve, sponsored by The Chad’s Ford Pa. Historical Society.
I have been participating in this event since 2006.
I designed this picture to illustrate the human heart toward God.
Understanding the symbolism in the design
Human heart: A Fortress
God’s Communion with Man Kind: Irish trinity flowers, with the crown, cross, dove
God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit
The two doors: the diverse ways mankind communes with God.
The door with the thorny flower design: A religious person who live with out power. They refuse to allow God to sit on the throne in their lives.
The door with the Grape Vine design: A follower of Jesus, who summit their lives to God’s lordship.
John 15:5 New King James Version (NKJV)
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Stephen J. Vattimo 10/04/2019
The leaves have grown so much you could barely see the house, as if it's hiding, as if it's not even there. I could only see bits and pieces of it out my kitchen window.